We found out back in 2020 that Warner Bros.' long-gestating live action Akira adaptation had been pushed back after the latest director to be attached to the project, Taika Waititi, signed on to helm Thor: Love and Thunder for Marvel Studios.
Updates have been few and far between since, but the filmmaker didn't sound too confident that he'd get the opportunity to direct the project during a recent interview.
However, Deadline's Justin Kroll believes the movie is finally moving forward with Waititi at the helm, which is why there was no mention of his Star Wars film during Celebration over the weekend.
Kroll notes that "nothing set in stone," but it "sounds like all his focus is on that project."
This news is bound to get a mixed response - especially after the lukewarm reception to Love and Thunder - but Waititi has previously revealed that he is a huge fan of the manga/anime, and intends to cast race-appropriate actors (which wasn't always going to be the case).
There have been several attempts to adapt Akira over the years, and most of them were going to move the story to the U.S. and feature Caucasian actors in the lead roles. The script that came closest to becoming a reality also made Kaneda and Tetsuo brothers.
It sounds like it's very early days, so we wouldn't expect any solid updates for a while. For now, be sure to let us know what you make of this development in the comments down below.
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